Origin and Historical Meaning of “News”
Linguistic Roots and Early Evolution
The English word “news” originated in the late Middle English period (around the 14th–15th century) as the plural of the word new (meaning a new thing). In Middle English it was often spelled newes (or newis, newys, etc.), essentially meaning “new things” or “new tidings”. This formation was modelled after French nouvelles (the plural of nouvelle, “new”) and the Medieval Latin nova (“new things”). In other words, news literally referred to new information – as its name implies, it was the collective for new or recent events. By the early 15th century, news was used to mean “tidings” or reports of recent events, gradually supplanting older terms like tidings for describing current information. Contemporary accounts from that era show news in common use – for example, one 15th-century source notes “newis” as a novelty or new information. Over time, the spelling was standardized to the modern news, but early texts exhibited a variety of forms (such as newys and newes) reflecting its Middle English origins.
Evolution of Usage in English
Originally plural in form, news was treated as a plural noun – people would say “these news” similar to “new things.” However, by the mid-16th century, it had shifted to be construed as a singular, uncountable noun (e.g. “the news is interesting”). Linguists note that news was “construed as singular at least from the 1560s”, although some writers continued to use it in a plural sense into the 17th–19th centuries. This odd mix – a word ending in -s (appearing plural) but often used with singular verbs – reflects its origin as a plural noun. Eventually, the singular usage became standard in modern English (we say “the news is…” rather than “the news are”). The meaning of the word also broadened: from simply “new things”, it came to denote information about recent events specifically. By the 15th century, “news” in English clearly meant “a report of recent occurrences” or “information newly received”, aligning with the concept of current events. (For instance, a 15th-century chronicle might speak of “good news” in the sense of welcome tidings.) The use of news to refer to media or a news program developed much later (e.g. referring to a newspaper or broadcast), but the core idea has always been something new to be told.
Not an Acronym: Debunking the N.E.W.S. Myth
It is a common misconception that “news” originated as an acronym for the four cardinal directions: North, East, West, and South. This is a popular backronym – a folk invention with no basis in the actual history of the word. In reality, news long predates any acronymic usage; it evolved from the word new and was never intended to denote compass points. Linguists call the compass-origin story an “absurd folk-etymology”. In fact, old documents and dictionaries show news in various spellings (as noted above) and its definition as “new things,” confirming its true derivation. Acronyms were not a feature of English word formation in the Middle Ages, and the notion that news is an abbreviation was first recorded as a joke as early as 1640.
Popular backronyms for news have arisen over time, but none are historically accurate. Some examples include:
“North, East, West, South“: A folk explanation suggesting news comes from all directions. This idea is a myth with no etymological support. Early uses of the word news and its French/Latin counterparts existed centuries before this acronym tale, debunking the notion outright.
“Notable Events, Weather, Sports“: A humorous modern backronym expanding news into a phrase. Like the compass myth, this is retroactive wordplay – news does not actually stand for this phrase. It simply coincides with standard newspaper sections but has no historical connection to the term’s origin.
Official Origin Clarified
All credible linguistic sources trace “news” back to its meaning of “new things” rather than an acronym. For example, the Online Etymology Dictionary and Oxford English Dictionary confirm that news developed from the plural of new in Middle English. Historical records (including medieval Latin nova and French nouvelles) show the continuous use of news to provide new information. By the 15th century, English speakers used news in the modern sense of recent information or reports. In summary, “news” is not an acronym but a straightforward term that evolved to describe new things. Its linguistic roots underscore that definition: it’s essentially “the new happenings” of the day. This clear origin distinguishes it from the colourful backronyms and folk tales that have arisen in popular culture. In educational and journalistic contexts, it is essential to note that news derives from new, conveying the idea of novelty or fresh information, just as it has for over 600 years.
Sources: The etymology and early usage details above are supported by historical dictionaries and scholarly sources, including the Online Etymology Dictionary, Oxford English Dictionary entries, and analyses of Middle English texts. These confirm the word’s official origin as described and firmly separate it from unfounded acronym myths.
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